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AzEIP Frequently Asked Questions

General

How do I know if my child needs Early Intervention?

You know your child best. Contact AzEIP if you have concerns about how your child:

  • Plays and interacts with others
  • Learns
  • Communicates
  • Moves
  • Sees
  • Hears

Who is eligible for services?

Any child from birth to 36 months who is developmentally delayed or who has an established condition, which has a high probability of resulting in a developmental delay, as defined by the State.

Who can refer a child?

A referral may be made by anyone in contact with the child, who has a concern about the child's development. Parents or other family members, doctors, nurses, childcare workers, social workers, or anyone who has contact with the child may make a referral. Of course, the child's parents will always be contacted for permission before any action is taken.

How do I refer a child?

Contact your local AzEIP Office to refer a child to AzEIP. You will be asked for basic information, such as the child's name and date of birth, and the family's address and telephone number, as well as the reason you are concerned. You may also contact the DES/AzEIP office for your local Initial Planning Process (IPP) Team Lead.

What happens if my child is referred to AzEIP?

When your child is referred to AzEIP, your family is contacted and given information about early intervention services and eligibility. If your family is interested in AzEIP, arrangements are made to meet at a time and place convenient for your family, in order to begin the initial planning process (IPP). The IPP process includes assessment, eligibility determination, and, for eligible children, the development of an Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP).

During visits with the family, information about your child's development, health, and medical history is gathered, and the family's concerns, interests, and priorities are explored. Information may be gathered by reviewing existing records, observation, and/or formal evaluation measures.

If your child is eligible for the early intervention program, family members, a Service Coordinator, individuals involved in the assessment process, and others you, the family, may wish to include, work as a team to develop desired outcomes related to your child's development. These outcomes are the foundation of the Individualized Family Service Plan. The team members share information and resources, and identify strategies, activities, supports, and services related to these outcomes.

Your family may stay enrolled in AzEIP until your child turns three years of age or your child no longer needs early intervention. As your child nears two and a half years of age, your Service Coordinator will help you determine the next steps for your child. These steps may include a preschool program for children with special needs offered by your local school district, a Head Start program, or a local childcare center.

Who will contact the family?

A local AzEIP office representative and/or the Service Coordinator will contact the family. If the family is interested, the Service Coordinator will make an appointment to visit with the family in the home or another location of their choosing. During this visit, the family may talk with the Service Coordinator about concerns, and ask questions about their child's development. They will be asked to share information about the child's health and medical history. The Service Coordinator and the family may decide that a more detailed evaluation of the child's development is needed.

What kinds of early intervention supports and services are available?

Early intervention services support you and other caregivers to help your child learn and grow. All families will have a Service Coordinator to assist and coordinate early intervention and other community resources. Your team will assist you to develop outcomes for your child and family to support your child’s learning and participation at home and in the community. Based on those outcomes, the team, including you, determines the early intervention services to help you meet the outcomes, which may include occupational, physical or speech therapy, developmental special instruction, social work or psychological services. Other services may be determined based upon your outcomes.

What will early intervention supports and services cost me?

AzEIP considers all resources available to the family and to service providers to fund early intervention services, this includes private insurance, public insurance (AHCCCS and ALTCS) and state and federal funds.

How long can my child stay in early intervention?

Your child and family may stay enrolled in AzEIP until your child turns three years old or until your child no longer needs early intervention. As your child nears two and a half years old, your Service Coordinator and other people who work with your family will talk to you about transition to other programs, which may include a preschool program for children with special needs offered by your local school district, a Head Start program, or a local childcare center.

What if my child isThree years old or more?

Since AzEIP only serves children from birth to 36 months and their families, you will need to contact your local school district for further information about preschool programs and services. If you would like help locating the proper school district, the local AzEIP Initial Planning Process office will be able to assist you.

Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP)

Where could I see a copy of the IFSP document?

The IFSP document (in English and Spanish) can be found in the Forms library. For changes to services, the IFSP Addendum is used, which is also located in the Forms library.

When does the 45 day timeline begin?

The 45 day timeline begins the day AzEIP receives the referral. An Individualized Family Service Plan must be developed for an eligible child within 45 days of the initial referral to AzEIP unless the family would like to extend this time.

When is an IFSP complete?

An IFSP is complete when the all following components have been addressed:

A statement of the family’s resources, priorities and concerns related to their child’s development
A statement of the child’s present levels of development in the following areas: physical (including vision, hearing, and health status), cognitive, communication, social or emotional, and adaptive or self-help
A statement of the major outcomes expected to be achieved by the child and family, and ideas/activities, people and environments to assist in working toward the outcome
A statement of the specific early intervention services necessary to support the child and family in achieving the outcomes, including the frequency, intensity, and method of delivering the service; natural environments in which the service will be provided, and a justification of the extent, if any, to which the services will not be provided in a natural environment
Other services that the child needs, but that are not required under this Part
The projected dates to start the services. The actual start dates and the planned end dates of the services
The name of the service coordinator
Steps to be taken to support the transition of the child at age three
The IFSP is fully explained to the family and they provide informed written consent to begin early intervention services

Who is responsible for convening the IFSP meeting?

The service coordinator is responsible for notifying all team members of the date of the IFSP meeting. The service coordinator must provide the parent with written notice of the IFSP meeting. There may be instances when the family members notify other team members such as extended family, child care providers, and/ or advocates, and ask them to attend.

Who should attend and participate in the IFSP meetings and periodic reviews?

Each initial meeting and each annual meeting to evaluate the IFSP must include:

  • the parent or parent(s) of the child
  • other family members as requested by the parents, if feasible to do so
  • an advocate or person outside of the family, if the parent requests that the person participate
  • the service coordinator
  • a person or person(s) who provide early intervention services to the family (and, if the initial IFSP meeting, a member of the initial evaluation team) as appropriate, persons who will be providing supports/services to the family

If a person or person(s) who provides ongoing services to the family is unable to attend a meeting, arrangements must be made for the person’s involvement through other means, including participating in a telephone conference call, having a knowledgeable authorized representative attend the meeting, or making records available at the meeting.

Each periodic review must provide for the participation of:

  • the parent(s) of the child
  • other family members as requested by the parents, if it is feasible to do so
  • an advocate or person outside of the family, if the parents request that the person participate the service/support coordinator
  • if conditions warrant, provisions must be made for the participation of a person or person(s) directly involved in conducting the evaluation and assessment, and as appropriate, persons who will be providing supports/services to the family

How can we document plans for transitions other than at age three?

The Transition Plan and Timelines pages provides an outlines for transition at age three, as required under IDEA, Part C. In addition, after the Transition page is the Transition Conference and Opt-Out Signature Page. On this page, the family notes whether they would like to have a transition conference to help plan the transition from early intervention for their child and family. The Opt-Out form allows the family to decline to have certain personal information automatically sent to the school district. By signing here, the service coordinator will not send the child and family information to the school to begin a referral.

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